These Roads We Take
by Bishy-Chicobo
Summary: Sora has been having these weird thoughts lately, unable to say if they were real or not. A mysterious girl makes him choose between himself and his heart, reshaping the world he lives in. Will he be able to stand alone, or are friends truly important?
1. Are They Real Or Not?

**Author's Notes**

For this chapter, I'd like to thank Lockea Stone for beta reading and improving the quality of this chapter and the many more she will help me with. Check her stuff out, you won't be disappointed.

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His eyes opened slowly, a sense of unease filling him as his mind tried to orient itself. He had fallen down here, he couldn't remember how though. His eyes stared at the blackness above, his mind frantically trying to understand how he had fallen and how he had survived the fall. He awoke mere seconds before hitting the ground yet he didn't feel that he hit the ground, as if he instantly stopped inches from it. He rubbed his eyes, trying to chase away the drowsiness and focus his mind to silence the ringing in his ears. Wearily, Sora lifted himself up on his feet, slouching in fear of losing balance if he would stand up straight. His eyes widened at what he saw in front of him. White marble columns rose high, disappearing into the darkness above, with intricate vines twisting higher and higher, with life-like leaves carved unto the marble. Four of these columns were stationed on the each corner of the square shaped floor. Like the pillars, the floor was also white marble but had gray outlines, giving an optical illusion of diamond shaped squares in a cross pattern. To his left, a tall and thin block of marble spewed water from the mouths of a hundred little birds, turning into a cascade which fell into an indentation in the ground, creating a small river which fell into the dark oblivion on the other side of the square. His ears then caught the sound of angels singing, a choir of women letting out low pitched notes. A soothing song, yet it felt almost like a lament. He glanced around himself, in hopes of finding someone or something to explain to him what was happening but all he saw was the surrounding darkness, at times he could make out colors rising before dissipating completely as soon as they came.

"Welcome, Sora." A girl's voice rang out but he could not tell where the voice was coming from.

"Who's there?" He asked, surprised, his eyes searching all around him.

The voice gave no answer but simply continued to speak as two small pillars rose before Sora. The left pillar had a crown placed upon it and the right pillar, a heart of gold. The crown was a golden circlet with vines wrapping themselves around chiseled gems of various colors while the heart of gold had nothing spectacular about it.

"In front of you lies a crown and a heart. Both are important to you, both represent you, both are the opposite of you." Sora was about to reach out to touch the crown when the voice rang out once more. "Beware, once you choose, the other will be lost forever. Neither of these gifts are to be taken lightly." His hand receded back to his side, his mind trying to focus on which to choose but also wanting find an explanation for all this. "Tell me Sora, is love or friendship more important to you?"

"What kind of question is that?" He made his voice loud, wanting the girl to hear him. "You can't have one without the other, nor would I be able to choose one."

"But those are the choices given to you." The girl replied. A simple statement, not understanding the difficulty of the choice.

Sora eyed the crown and he figured it meant friendship while the heart meant love yet he knew from her words that they both meant it yet neither meant it. However, the choice seemed rather obvious and his hand now reached to the right, grabbing the heart.

"You chose the heart. A heart must be strong, filled with love, and filled with light. However, the heart can be a heavy burden." At those words, the heart seemed to have gained weight and Sora collapsed on the floor. "Few can carry the burden of love and friendship, few can understand its meaning, and even fewer live alongside their friends." Sora attempted to get up but the heart was pressing him down to the floor and he was unable to let go. "Is this the path you want Sora, the path of burdens? Can you truly handle it?" He heard steps approach him and with the corner of his eye, he saw white shoes near him and then he saw nothing but darkness.

Sora opened his eyes to see Vexen, his chemistry teacher, looking down on him. Once again, Sora felt dizzy but this time he also felt like he hit the ground.

"Sora, can you hear me?" Vexen asked him, as he held the brunet's head in his hands.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." Sora's words were slurred and he rolled off and landed on all fours, slowly lifting himself up using the table for support. "What happened?" His eyes were fixated on his hands, focusing themselves and gathering his thoughts.

"You breathed in too much of the fumes and collapsed, Sora." Vexen pointed to a few blackened vials in the back of the room. "Someone's experiment reacted strangely and started releasing large amounts of gases and you didn't seem to be able to stand them for more than a few seconds before collapsing. Don't worry, the fumes are harmless."

"Harmless?" Sora felt like arguing that he got knocked out from those harmless fumes but his head ached and he couldn't gather the strength.

"Let's get you the nurse's office; you might have hurt yourself during the fall." Vexen anchored the boy's arm over him and walked him to the nurse's office. Sora could hear murmuring around him but his mind was stuck on the image of a monster eating a golden heart. He couldn't understand, nor was he able to think clearly, but the image was so lucid: he felt he could stop the monster if he just reached out.

"Here we are." Vexen's voice rang out, snapping the boy back to reality. "I have to get back to class but I'm sure Marluxia will take good care of you."

"That I will. Thanks for bringing him in." The teacher left, leaving Sora's fixed gaze on the nurse's pink hair. "First time I've seen you in here, Sora. I don't recall you ever being hurt before, at least not in school." Sora felt the man's hands spread his hair apart, examining his head for bumps and cuts. "Well, you seem to be alright there. Follow my finger, please." The nurse moved his finger in front of Sora's eyes left and right then touched his nose and moved back. "You seem fine there too. Any pains?"

"No, just dizzy..." Sora muttered, feeling tired.

"Yes, fumes will do that to you but other than that you should be perfectly fine. Do you want to go home and rest?" Marluxia asked, walking to his desk and reaching for the phone.

"Yes." The monosyllable answer came. After listening to the nurse call the taxi, notify the school, and call Sora's mother, the brunet dared ask. "Is it possible that the fumes made me hallucinate?"

"Hallucinate? Are you seeing something right now?" Marluxia crouched down to be on Sora's eye level and looked at his eyes.

"No. Not now but before. I had a weird dream and when I woke up I could still see pieces of it."

"Must of been just been a dream, Sora. Nothing in those chemicals should induce hallucinations or so Vexen says." He then gave Sora a queer smile. "It makes sense that you saw some of it after, you seem to be quite in a daze. Just your mind trying to orientate itself; a good nap will fix you right up. Let's go outside and wait for the taxi, shall we?" The nurse offered his hand and Sora took it.

As they came out of the office, Sora noticed there were other students in the hallway, class must've ended a few minutes ago. Some didn't look at Sora and were off on their way, but most stared and murmured words to each other as they passed by them. He felt the cool air of autumn wash over him, refreshing his mind and calming down the rush of thoughts that spun in his head.

"The air is nice, isn't it?" Marluxia commented amiably, as they headed down towards the taxi parking zone.

"Yeah..." Sora's head seemed to clear up a little, but he felt like he had eaten a ton of bricks. He then realized he was holding the man's hand and let go. Marluxia seemed to laugh quietly at that.

"They provide a fast service around here." The nurse said as he walked towards the taxi, which was just pulling up and stationing itself. "Remember to rest up, hope you feel better tomorrow." He said as Sora closed the passenger door and the taxi pulled away.

The boy wondered about his dream and what the heart meant. Was any of it real or just random images playing in his head? He could not tell. All he knew is that love and friendship were a heavy burden, but he didn't believe that. How could something that filled people with happiness and contentment be a burden? He slowly started believing the dream was but a dream and it meant nothing, but the driver snapped him out of his dreaming.

"You okay, kid?" The rough man asked, turning his head to get a better look.

"Yeah, I'm fine." It wasn't the first time Sora said those words today.

"Well, mind getting out? We're here." The man pointed with his finger at Sora's house.

"Sorry. Thanks." Sora got out of the car and walked slowly and unevenly towards his front door while the taxi drove away down the street.

His house was nearly identical to all the other houses in the neighborhood; a two story house with red bricks and a slanted roof. The overall effect was nice; it seemed like a strong sturdy structure with a certain tact that went well with the tree in the middle of his yard which just started shedding its fire red leaves. Most of the surrounding houses looked just about the same but it was home and it felt nice. However, Sora wasn't able to enjoy it as the midday sun seemed to burn him and his head throbbed harder and harder. He tried opening his red oak door but he noticed it was locked. His mother must have been at work and he couldn't remember where the spare key was hidden. He turned around to see someone biking across the street, their head turned towards him leaving a trail of hair behind them. Sora couldn't make it out who it was since his eyes were heavy and unfocused.

"He's always around you, isn't he?" Sora turned around furtively and saw someone cloaked in black standing in the house's door frame. "Remember, the path of burdens is not an easy one."

"Who are you?" Sora demanded, feeling dizzy once more.

"You cannot possibly be the one..." The figure turned around and took a turn, disappearing from Sora's sight. The boy walked in and peered into the room but the cloaked man was gone.

"What the..." Sora looked in every single room of the first floor but found nothing out of place and the man was definitely gone. His mind had gotten heavy and he slowly mounted his stairs, opened the door, and fell down upon his bed.

Sora opened his eyes and levered himself up with his arms. He was standing outside of his home, it looked the same as it had when he came home, however, he could tell there was something wrong. It was broad daylight but the surrounding houses had their lights on and were covered with shadows. He took a few steps and noticed how real everything felt, he even bent down to pick up a leaf and started rolling it between his fingers.

"Hello, Sora." A voice rang out.

"You!" Sora turned around upon hearing the girl's voice once more. "What's going on?"

"Before you lays three objects; a gift box, a thorned rose in a vase, and a letter." With each announcement, the item appeared in front of Sora, suspended in the air as if hovering by magic. "Like the previous test, you may only choose one. However, this time you must also ignore one of the objects and sacrifice the remaining one."

"Test?" Sora asked, confused. "What are these tests about? Who are you? What's going on?" He shouted into the air but the girl ignored him.

"You remember that boy you saw when you arrived at your home?" She asked and seemed to wait for an answer.

"Not really, I'm not even sure if it was a boy. The hair was rather long; it could have been a girl." Sora answered after a few seconds, thinking she might listen this time, but her answer provided no such indication.

"You don't know him, do you?" This time, she didn't wait. "No, you don't. What a shame that you cannot share your heart with everyone around you. So many lives pass each other by."

"What are you talking about?" Sora looked behind him, wondering if the boy would appear there once more.

"You've lost your chance, Sora. A connection between two individuals is a rare thing." She paused before continuing. "But you mustn't give up; you chose the path of burdens. Many hardships await for you and many of them will try to destroy you. A weak heart cannot handle rejection often and will succumb to darkness quickly. Perhaps there is more than one chance at times..."

"What did I miss? Who was the boy?" Sora demanded, he was now pacing around and trying to make sense of what was happening.

"Tell me, Sora, if you chose the path of burdens, what will you use to protect yourself and those around you?" She asked, ignoring Sora's questions once more.

"Protect them from what?"

"The gift box represents something dear to you, close to your heart, which you want to give and share with others. Tell me, can you give your heart away to more than one person?"

"My heart?"

"Yes, a heart is something where you keep your love, memories, and light in. It's something no one can do without. Can you give it to others without running out?"

"I don't know...What kind of question is that?"

"The thorned rose in the vase represents vanity, love, and protection. You cannot let everyone inside of your world, now can you? There are bad people and those who do not deserve your love. Will you be able to protect your world from them?"

"Yes. I won't let anyone hurt me if I can help it." Sora replied, sure of himself.

"So you'd reject those who hurt you. Remember, those who hurt you are the ones you love. You reject love?" Sora was about to deny but she continued. "The last one, the letter, holds secrets, truths, lies, and a ribbon."

"A ribbon?" Sora hadn't expected that.

"Yes, a ribbon is something that binds something together. Like two people, bound together in love and friendship. Do you believe such a ribbon can be cut with the will of the heart? Or will it always hold onto its end of the ribbon, forever being tied to another?"

"I don't know..."

"The heart is strong and weak at the same time, Sora. You don't seem to know your own heart well."

"I just go by with what I feel..."

"Don't let your emotions influence your decision, Sora. You must now choose one, ignore the other, and sacrifice the last." At that, her voice faded away and seemed to never ring out again.

"I choose..." Sora looked at his choices and couldn't decide. He didn't understand why he was choosing or what he was choosing. He didn't understand her words. "I choose the rose." He reached out and held the vase in his hands.

"You have chosen the path of thorns. You protect yourself with an illusion of safety, you welcome those who you love as well as you reject them. Like all roses, you seem lovely on the outside yet you sting harder than most. Loving only yourself is a simple thing when those you love run from you. The heart will grow dark and deep, never understanding why its light is gone. The path of burdens and the path of thorns are not compatible; for one requires love and the other rejects it."

"What? I'll never let that happen to my heart."

"What do you ignore and sacrifice?" She asked finally, her voice calm and serene as usual.

"I ignore the letter and sacrifice the box." He speaks out, wondering what he had chosen.

"Not everyone can understand the secrets and lies of others yet many forgive and move on. It is not for them to judge what they find out, but remember the precious memories inside the box. But without the box, they can only read hate and lies and that is when a heart cuts the ribbon. A heart will always recede within itself to protect itself, believing it is safe there. It always forgets the love in the memories and reads someone else's heart like a book. A heart is not book, Sora; what is in there in not necessarily the truth but it isn't a lie either.

"Why are we talking about hearts? What does this have to do with me?"

"This has been your second test Sora, one more awaits you." At that, the street lights started turning themselves off and the sun faded away. Soon darkness wrapped itself around Sora and he could feel his bed sheets crushed under his hands.

"My sheets?" The boy looked down and realized he was sitting upright in his bed. He glanced over to the digital clock and midnight flashed with bright red lights. "I'm awake..." He fell back into his pillow and thought of what the girl said. What did it all mean? He didn't have the time to think of it before sleep took him in its embrace.

The next morning, Sora managed to forget for a while about his dreams and was smiling along with his friends at school. He was always cheerful and full of life and he wouldn't let some weird dreams get in the way of that. He certainly wasn't planning on telling anyone about them, but he wanted answers and wondered if someone might explain to him something he missed. Marluxia had caught him when he entered the building in the morning and made sure he was okay. Sora had been feeling fine ever since he woke up. All the dizziness and nausea from the fumes had worn off during his sleep and he felt like it was nothing but a bad dream. He thanked Marluxia and later proceeded on finding Vexen and thanking him for bringing him to the nurse's office. His friends were worried and bombarded him with questions, persuaded by false rumors of toxic substances and explosions.

"So, it was just an accident? No explosions or mutations?" Tidus asked, leaning against the lockers of the west aisle.

"Yeah, just fumes that cut my oxygen off and made me dizzy. I can't climb walls or lift houses yet, at least." Sora joked, hoping they'd stop asking him questions and making sure he was feeling better.

"So then, you're still up for the battle of the bands tonight?" Tidus asked, knowing the brunet would come but simply wanting to remind everyone of his big event. Tidus had recently joined _Sleep & Love, _a local band composed of some older teenagers that had graduated a few years ago. They had recently lost their previous guitarist due to family issues and Tidus had taken his place.

"Of course, wouldn't miss it for the world." Sora laughed and the others agreed. Somehow, Sora felt his laughter catch (changed from 'caught', tense agreement) short and wondered if he would miss it for the world. He shook off the idea and continued smiling.

"Well, until then, you and I are going to the beach." Kairi spoke to Sora, reminding him of their date. Not that they were romantically involved but he had gotten used to everyone saying they were always on dates, and he simply started calling them that as well.

"Yeah, yeah. I haven't forgotten, Kairi." Sora reassured her as Selphie pulled her away, saying something about needing some girl time with the redhead. "I'll meet you down at the beach!" He yelled behind her as she waved him goodbye.

"Another date, ya? You guys are really going at it." Wakka smirked, knowing Sora didn't like being teased about it. No matter how much Sora denied it, his friends always believed there was something going on between the two of them.

"Yeah, we're real animals." Sora grinned back, his innocent features turning comical yet somewhat serious. One thing that drew others to Sora was his face. His eyes were always bright and his smile constant. He had a special aura that others were drawn to, and so they developed friendships with him.

"Hey, no need to comment on your private life." Wakka waved his hand and Tidus chuckled, his arms folded over his chest.

"Well, I've got my free period now, I'm off to meet up with the band so I'll see you in the crowd, guys." Tidus punched Wakka on the arm and the other tried to smack him back, but the blond ran away quickly.

"Well we should get going to our classes." Sora eyed Kairi and Selphie at the other end of the hallway. "You have any plans after school?" He asked, distracted.

"Nah, but I've got to rest up. Tidus wants me to spend the night with him after the concert so I gotta rest up. Been having a hard time sleeping lately." He replied, glancing in the direction of the girls who were now giggling and approaching them.

"Is something wrong?" Sora asked, backing himself against the wall.

"I dunno. Everything is alright but I seem to be having trouble sleeping, is all." Wakka turned away and headed towards his locker which was inconveniently in the east aisle, a short (pause) walk from the west aisle.

"What did you guys talk about?" Sora asked, turning around and started opening his lock.

"Just girl stuff." Selphie gave a look to Kairi before skipping away joyfully. Kairi stationed herself in front of the locker and fumbled with the lock before diving her hand down inside of her bag, groping for her pencil case.

"Hey, Kairi." Sora started, searching for the words. He wasn't sure what he was going to ask but part of him was yelling not to ask her anything. "What does the heart mean to you?" His voice raised a notch slightly as he blew the words, uncertain and embarrassed.

"The heart?" She looked at him, abandoning her rummaging.

"Yeah, like the feelings of friendship and love." He continued, wishing he just told her to forget it.

"It's nice." She seemed to ponder it before answering with a smile. "The world has a lot of problems but it's nice to know you have someone to turn to. It'd be hard being all alone the entire time." She was about to ask 'why the question?' but Sora quickly interrupted.

"Thanks." He quickly closed his locker and ran off towards his next class, leaving Kairi confused, but the girl quickly put her thoughts aside and went back to looking for her pencil case.

As the bell rang, dozens of students quickly rushed out of their classes and headed towards their lockers accompanied by their friends. Their schoolbags anchored on their shoulders while their bus opened up their doors. There was only a few who took their time and seemed to be slower than the rest of the group. Saying their goodbyes and saying one last joke before parting for the remainder of the day. Sora and Kairi were two of those students who walked out the back doors and into the beach path.

The redhead and the brunet walked alongside each other, she bouncing lightly and he crossing his arms behind his head. The silence was comfortable and neither minded that they had already whispered to each other everything they had to say during classes. Both enjoyed each other's company as they were good friends, understood one another, and, in the end, they both knew they'd end up laughing together at the silliest things.

"You had a math test today, didn't you?" Sora asked while his eyes were distracted by the auburn leaves in the trees, wondering if they would all fall down or remain in the trees like last year.

"I did alright. Nothing I couldn't do with some studying." She smiled at him and looked at the leaves herself. "I hope they won't fall down this year either, winter is prettier with them."

"Yeah, I hope so too." Destiny Islands was located near the southern hemisphere of the world and it had higher temperatures then usual even during the winter. Only in last few years had autumn transcended into winter, snow covering the ground for only a few days with inches of snow.

"This is the last time we'll be going to the beach, isn't it?" It was more of a statement then a question.

"Yeah, it's no good when the sea breeze freezes us. It'll only be for a few months; we'll be baking in the sun before we know it." She answered, smiling softly at her memories.

"Yeah, you're right and we'll have all summer and more since we're finally graduating. It's gonna be great." He chuckled at the thought of the soon given freedom.

"Yeah..." Kairi's eyes trailed off from the path and looked further past the buildings. "Race you." She hit him lightly on the arm and darted off.

"Hey!" It took Sora a few seconds to realize the beach was only a few moments away and darted off, laughing at the game and yelling at her. The two ran past the last block of houses and then found themselves on a gray wooden path, leading them down the slope as the salty sea air filled their lungs. Sora had caught up to Kairi, but because of the set of steps along the ramps and the narrow pat, he had been forced to slow down and stay behind Kairi.

"Gotcha!" He had quickly stepped up to her and locked his arms around her waist, not letting her go any further.

"Sora! Admit you lost." She struggled and managed to slip through his arm and be the first to set her foot down upon the sand.

"Hey...It wasn't completely fair..." He crossed his arms behind his head and started walking with rigid steps, pretending he was being nonchalant.

"Sora." She was going to add something but she stopped when the boy turned around with a big smile on his face. "Yeah, yeah. I packed us a lunch for later. Help me set it up." They walked toward the shore, stopping no more than a meter away from before, and Kairi unpacked her bag and set out a large a cloth, some towels, and colored boxes containing various foods.

"Hey, Sora!" The redhead snapped at the boy as he opened a box and was about to eat whatever she had stashed in there. "Those are for later."

"But I'm hungry." He quickly picked up a few crackers that were in the box and ran away while eating them as Kairi charged at him.

As the day flew away, unnoticed by the two of them, they finished the last moments laying side by side as the sun slowly set before their eyes. The warmth of the day made way for the coldness of the night, the sound of the waves settled, soothing them, and the smell of salt numbed their senses leaving both of them in a dream like state.

"Kairi?" Sora broke the silence with a soft whisper, regretting it as he broke the calm spell that loomed over them.

"Yeah?" Her reply came back just as softly, her tone tired.

"We're gonna be late for the battle of the bands." Reality slowly settled inside of him and he remembered Tidus and all his other friends. A thought swept past him; _Troublesome._

"Oh!" Kairi shot up and immediately starting grabbing hold on their things, rushing to get back to town. "Sora, grab that bag and call my mom. She can drive us over there before we miss Tidus' turn." Sora obeyed and reached inside, fumbling over small objects until he grasped the rectangular metal object. While Sora spoke on the phone, Kairi managed to cram the blanket, towels, and lunch boxes back inside her backpack and Sora's. They looked like they were about to burst but she strapped her backpack on and waited for Sora.

"We're good." Sora closed the phone and handed it back to the redhead. "She said we should walk as far as we can up the street over there and she'll pick us up when we meet up." Both, quickly ran back up the wooden path and headed towards the city lights.


	2. These are my paths

**Authors note:**

I'd like to apologize for the long wait between chapters but I've been kept busy by my final year at school and now summer vacation starts and I'm shortly going to settle down in a new city so updates might still be slow. However, the third chapter will mark an end for all of this and you will be expecting an update once per week or two. Lock did not have time to read this over so I apologize if there is too many mistakes.

**P.S.**

Thank you for the dozens of favorites and alerts! I'm glad the first chapter was very well accepted by all of you.

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Sora leaned against the back wall with Kairi at his side. They had arrived a few minutes late and the crowd had already circled the stage, leaving little room for anyone to squeeze in. Sora observed where the mosh pit was going to be held and lazily contemplated rushing into it when it starts. It was one of those heavy metal concerts even though it was just a battle of the bands; all the local bands seemed to have taken a liking to the style. They had caught Wakka for a minute before he said he was going to check up on Tidus before the concert started but he never came out. Tidus was supposed to be on after the band currently playing, their name eluding Sora's mind.

"Hey, Sora." Kairi yelled into his ear. The brunet turned around his head lazily. "Look over there! It's Cloud!" Sora hadn't quite made out the name but his eyes trailed towards where he finger was pointing and noticed the blond boy standing in the midst of the crowd. His head was slightly hunched, as if he was bored or waiting for something to happen.

Cloud had graduated from their school last year along with others they had known. They weren't friends but because of a few younger students, they had managed to merge social circles together. Cloud was the guitarist that had quit from _Sleep & Love _a few months back. Apparently the blond had become depressed over family matters or something. Sora didn't know the details but it broke up a lot of relationships he had.

"I wonder if he's here to see Tidus." Sora wondered loudly but Kairi turned to him asking what he had said but he just waved his hand and listened to the music. Not that he considered metal a genre in music but a lot of his friends did and he kept his mouth shut most of the time. He liked it well enough to listen but he didn't respect it much.

The music came to a halt and the lights dimmed down, leaving everyone nearly in the dark. The crowds quieted down and voices were inaudible from the ringing in his ears. Sora was still staring at the back of Clouds head when all of a sudden he noticed that everything seemed to have stopped. The voices were gone and he didn't hear or see anyone moving on stage. He turned to Kairi but she was frozen, her hands behind her back pressing against the wall.

"Kairi?" Sora waved his hand in front of her face and poked her but there was no reaction. Suddenly, a perverse thought passed through him but he quickly put it away and marched forward to take a closer look at everyone. Everyone was just as Kairi was, frozen still. He looked around at all the faces around him and realized they were all frozen. Had time stopped? He couldn't make sense of it as he looked at all the faces one by one. That's when he saw it.

A quick shadow zipped through the mass of legs, slipping between and around them. Sora tried following it with his eyes but the lack of lighting made him lose sight of it as quickly as he had caught it. He felt something pass by his leg and looked down to see large yellow eyes staring directly at him. Sora's stomach clenched and his heart began to race, the eyes were simply staring endlessly at him.

"Sora!" A voice flew loudly around him. Guitars blared and drums banged quickly as bodies started hurling themselves at him. Quick movements of feet sent the torso smashing into him and before he knew it, he realized the mosh pit had started and he was caught in the middle.

The brunet pushed himself into the crowd trying to break free but the bodies kept pushing him back as well. He was getting pummeled quicker and quicker until he felt a tight pressure on his arm and he got pulled out of the circle hastily. Sora supported himself by placing his hands on his knees as he looked back from where he came. From here, it didn't seem so bad he thought as he panted. He then turned slowly back to see who had saved him and with a slow gulp of air he faced his savior. Cloud. The blond's eyes stared at Sora, seeming bored and then turned back to watch the concert. Or Tidus more accurately, his eyes were fixed on the boy. Sora yelled a thank you but Cloud didn't turn back or show any sign of acknowledgment, perhaps he hadn't heard him but Sora didn't bother saying it again and walked back to Kairi as a few curious eyes, who had caught the scene, observed him.

"Sora, when did you get over there?" The girl yelled at him. "I thought you didn't like those kinds of things." She was laughing and giggling.

"I'm fine, Cloud saved me!" He replied, ignoring her comments.

"I saw. Pretty cool, no? Didn't expect anyone to save you" She laughed.

"Weren't you going to come?" He yelled, vexed but she didn't have time for a reply as someone had come towards them and spoke up.

"Fuckin' A, man. You got thrashed!" The voice came laughing and slightly out of air. White hair and sea green eyes, there stood Riku. "How did it feel being swallowed? That's how darkness feels like. I'm the one she spoke of. I'm the one, Sora."

"What?" Sora stared at him, his eyes widened and heart starting to race again.

"I asked if you're okay, you seemed like you might of gotten hurt there." The answer came back, not matching his previous words. Sora figured he just imagined it.

"I'm fine, just a bit bruised." Riku laughed at that and started speaking to Kairi, the music blurring their conversation from Sora.

Sora looked back at where Cloud had been but noticed the blond was gone from the concert as he couldn't spot him anywhere and with the boy's height it would be hard not to. He turned back his attention to Kairi and Riku who seemingly had forgotten he was there but he contended to listening to them.

"So then I jumped inside and chased her upstairs until she reached her room and tried to close the door but my hand was already blocking it and she was screaming while all my friends were laughing in back.

"That's crazy, I can't believe you did that." Kairi laughed and looked at Sora to see his reaction and Sora pretended to laugh as well even though he missed the beginning of the story. That's when he realized this; everything had become quiet. The music stopped and the Tidus' band wasn't on stage anymore. Everyone was just muttering to each other.

"Umm..I'll be right back, Kairi." He looked at her and realized she might follow. "I'll just check up with Wakka and be right back. Stay here with... Riku." Sora felt a bit sick when he his name, he couldn't say why but it mattered little and rushed towards the backstage door entrance. Wakka was already by the door talking with Tidus when Sora arrived. They greeted him with a lazy wave of the hand and kept talking as he approached.

"Hey, what's going on guys." Sora asked, wondering if that's what they were whispering about.

"Uhh, the cables and electricity sockets got covered in water and some of the headlights broke. We have no idea how it happened but it was enough to freak out all the band players." Tidus replied, looking directly at Sora. "Nice moshing, by the way." He teased.

"I seen Cloud head towards Leon when he left the building to catch some air. Like weird, ya? Those two haven't spoken in a while in my knowledge." Wakka laughed as Sora pouted and told Tidus to shut up.

"Really? Aerith was speaking to Tifa and I overheard they exchanged a few words online and on the phone a while back." Tidus replied, thinking back on the event.

"Oh, yeah? Hmm, doesn't matter. None of our business." Wakka folded his arms, prefering to stay out of anything involving the fight from a few months ago. "You were getting smashed in there, Sora!" He continued to tease Sora along with Tidus, both boys laughing at the brunet.

"So what now?" Sora asked as he looked behind his shoulder, unable to see kairi or Riku.

"I doubt Leon is coming back and I don't even know what's going to happen with all the equipment broken and wet. I think we should just leave at this point." Tidus sighed, unhappy about his event ruined.

"It's still early, ya? Let's go grab some grub." Wakka said and started marching off, deciding for everyone their course of action.

"Let's go." Tidus followed behind and Sora had no choice but to follow. Kairi was standing by the exit alone, apparently waiting for them and Wakka decided for her to come along with them to eat some food. All party members wondered if Wakka had the car or if they'd have to walk.

Lucky for them, Wakka did have the car, the car being his parents car, and they drove off towards wherever the redhead felt like eating. No one truly cared what they ate, all were quiet except for Wakka who had nothing to think about. Sora was disturbed by his hallucinations, Tidus was thinking of Leon and Cloud, Kairi was certainly thinking of things Riku might of said and Wakka was obviously thinking of the restaurant he was driving them to. Everyone seemed to have had a bad ending tonight and Sora couldn't imagine what would ruin Wakka's night.

They pulled up to the Pear Garden, an Asian diner with European dishes for main courses. Sora never figured out why it was like that but the food was cheap and rather good so he didn't ponder on it long.

As they seated themselves, Wakka and Tidus started speaking, breaking the odd silence and lighting up the mood enough for Kairi to speak up as well.

"Riku said he'd like to come hang out with us tomorrow at my place." Sora's stomach tightened and he felt slightly sick from hearing his name but he didn't let it show. "Would you come? He seems lonely, you know."

_What about all his other friends? Sora had felt like bitterly saying those words but he held them in and nodded before opening his menu. Why did he hate Riku, he felt like he despised him for some reason but the boy had never done anything to him except be an annoyance to everyone. The brunet sighed and lazily murmured his order of chicken fries and the rest took turns ordering whatever their hearts contended with._

The path of thorns and the path of burdens. The girls voice repeated her message over and over for Sora as he watched his friends eat. These three here, did he love them? Did he value them individually and was able to love them equally? He thought these were silly questions that mattered little but he had already chosen. He could not understand what both of these paths meant and nor was he able to understand what they meant to him. All he knew was that he didn't want things to change between any of them and he'd support his friends no matter what happens.

"Hey, Kairi." Tidus waved a fry at her. "Where's Selphie? I didn't see her at the concert and she's not here with us." He stuffed the fry in his mouth as Kairi attempted to snatch it away from her face.

"She called as we were driving towards the concert and said she was filling sick. She has a headache and her stomach hurts so she stayed in. She told me to tell you she's sorry missing your first performance." Kairi repeated Selphie's words glumly, obviously missing her friend. Tidus simply nodded and stuffed a few fries in his mouth as he looked out the window, eyes searching for nothing in particular.

"Huh?" Tidus' eyes snapped towards the front as music erupted out of nowhere. He quickly realized it was his cellphone's ringtone and answered. "Hello?"

Everyone's gaze fell on him as he talked into the phone. All of them simply pretended to be passing a glance at him but were all carefully examining him from the corner of their eyes. Tidus answered and simple monotone syllables, his eyes slightly darker.

"Okay, I'll be right over." Tidus stuffed the cellphone back in pocket and threw a ten dollar bill on the table before asking Wakka for a drive. "I need to go to Leon's place. Right now! I'll explain on the way." The redhead didn't ask any questions but threw some change on the table before rushing off after Tidus.

"Okay..." Sora chuckled awkwardly as quiet fell back into the small restaurant and turned to Kairi. "I think we lost our ride back home, Kairi."

"It's fine, I'll just call my mom. It's barely nine thirty." The girl reached into her purse and dialed her mothers number, leaving Sora to stare out the window. The brunet couldn't help but wonder if something had happened between Cloud and Leon. He couldn't think of anything else that would make Tidus be involved in a disaster between anyone from the band. Leon always got quite a bit of respect from the band members as whoever was in it was a good friend to him; even Tidus who has only been there a short while. "Sora, you're gonna drop by tomorrow and hang out with Riku and me?" Kairi asks as she hung up her cellphone.

"Yeah, of course." He felt a cold shiver blow through his mind.

"Great, it'll be fun." She smiled at him before returning to her food.

"Yep." Sora said absent mildly, wondering if he'll have his final test tonight.

An uneventful night had passed Sora thought as he watched himself in the mirror as he put on his red t-shirt with Exon written in black letters on it. He observed himself momentarily before feeling satisfied and exited the room. He had slept until near noon when Kairi called and his mother woke him up to take the call. She had wanted to tell him to meet back at her place around one in the afternoon to hangout with Riku. He wanted to ask her why she was hanging out with him in the first place but he felt it was too rude to ask out of the blue.

His mother had made some bacon for him when he was on the phone and he ate it wearily. Part of him wanted to crawl back into bed but the other half wasn't tired at all. He figured, if anything, it was going to be a lazy day with lots of mumbling and video games. As he crunched down the bacon one by one, the doorbell rang and he looked at the door not really caring who it was.

"Sora, it's one of your little friends. Well, he seems rather tall." His mother was looking out the kitchen window as she was doing some dishes.

Sora jumped off the chair and took two big steps towards the door and opened it without a thought, assuming it was Wakka from his mother's description. He froze a little and then flinched back a step as he realized who was at his door. White hair and sea green eyes were flashing a big smirk at sky blue eyes.

"Hey, Sora." He gave off a small wave before stepping in. "I know I'm a few minutes early and in the wrong house but I thought it'd be good if we met a little before heading to Kairi's." He laughed a little and gave his hellos to Sora's mother.

"Uh...Sure." Sora wasn't quite sure what else to do but let him in even if he walked in himself and decided to be pleasant for now. "You hungry or something?"

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks." He looked at the clock real quick before turning back to Sora. "Show me your room?" He asked, nearly sounding like an order.

"Sure." Sora felt stupid for not finding more words then 'Sure' and 'Uh'. As they turned and walked down a hallway, Sora could feel his eyes fixated upon the back of his head. "Well, this is it." He said as he opened his door.

"Seems a tad empty." He commented as he went and sat on the bed, his hands under him. "No offense." He laughed. "It just seems tidy and uncluttered."

"Thanks, I guess." Sora didn't find it empty. His shelves were stacked and his desk as well. His drawers were nearly bursting from having clothes crammed into them but Riku couldn't tell, he supposed. "So, what are we doing at Kairi's?" The brunet asked, subtly covering his real question.

"I dunno, she seemed like a lot of fun so I wanted to get to know her better." He looked through Sora's CD stack that was on the shelf of his bed. He didn't seem to like any of them as he simply laughed quietly and turned away.

"Yeah, she is a lot of fun. Except when she finds herself buried in sand." He chucked a little and Riku as well, understanding what Sora meant. "Don't like any of my music?"

"Heh, all those bands are boring. My music is better." He laughed, joking about what he said but Sora felt like part of him meant it.

"Well what do you listen to?" Sora asked and the other boy pulled out of his pocket his iPod and handed him a ear piece. Sora took it, wondering what the music was since his music was things you hear wherever you go.

"Fuck!" Sora screamed as the music started blaring into his ears, pulling the earphone out quickly. Even from a arm length he could clearly hear the loud drums and guitars as well as the screaming. He looked at Riku who was laughing loudly, enjoying Sora's reaction.

"That's some of my softer music too." He laughed a little more before smiling and scrolling down his music list.

"That was not music, man." Sora laughed a little too, observing Riku.

"Yeah it is, it's amazing. Look, I'll show you some Nightwish." He grabbed the discarded earphone and handed it to Sora. "Don't worry it's not loud at all. I promise." He gave him a smile and Sora couldn't resist but giving it one more chance.

To his surprise, it really wasn't loud. It wasn't too bad and he rather enjoyed listening to the band. Maybe all metal wasn't so bad. Riku was softly singing the lyrics and Sora found himself listening to him more then the singer.

"Hey, Riku." Sora took out the earphone and placed in on the boys lap. "We gotta get going." Riku looked up thinking he'd find a clock but there was nothing of the sort but Sora was already grabbing his shoes and heading out and Riku had no choice but to follow him.

As they head out the door and started walking towards Kairi's house, Sora noticed he was still thinking about Riku and he wasn't feeling that odd sickness. He kinda liked him already and he wondered what had made him feel bad towards him the first place.

Sora remained quiet for most of the walk, letting Riku tell him stories that had happened to him. He was listening but he wasn't paying much attention. Sora had taken a glance at the boy and realized his hair flew slightly behind him as he walked and thought of what the girl had said. We don't have many chances and sometimes we simply let them slip by. Was Riku a chance for Sora or Kairi? Either way, he didn't like thinking about it. Things were simply the way they were. There was nothing lost or won either way. However, he couldn't help but rethink those words and believing them despite himself.

Kairi's house was only two blocks away and it wasn't long before they reached it. Kairi was looking out the window when they had entered the driveway and were heading towards the front door, the girl quickly walking to open it up for them.

"Hey, Sora. Hey, Riku." She greeted them and let them walk inside, Riku feeling slightly uncomfortable coming inside a new house even though he felt right at home at Sora's house. "Did you guys run into each other on the street?"

"Uh, no. Riku came over to my place first so we could get to know each other a little." Sora said as he walked towards the fridge.

"Yeah, thought it'd be nice to be all on friendly terms before we hung out." He eyed Sora as the boy grabbed meat and bread, making himself a sandwich. "Sora, did I bother you during breakfast?" He asked, remembering the boy had been eating when he came over.

"No, why?" He said as he put a pack of assorted meats in his mouth and grabbed more stuff with his free hands.

"No reason..." Riku sighed and turned to Kairi and gave her a small smile.

"It's alright, he does this every time." She smiled and walked towards the kitchen as well. "Are you still sore from last night?" She asked as she watched him make a sandwich.

"I don't know. I feel fine." He was placing some meat when he felt a large thud in his back and he yelled out a little.

"Guess you still got some bruises." Riku laughed and Kairi joined him as Sora rubbed his back in pain and laughed too with them after a while.

Riku was leaning against the counters, talking softly to Sora as the boy concentrated on making the perfect sandwich. However, when the phone rang, both had forgotten what they were doing and started eavesdropping on Kairi as she answered the phone.

"Hey, Tidus." That was the only thing she said for a while, listening attentivly to what the blond was telling her. Kairi had stopped smiling and seemed concerned about whatever the boy was speaking to her about. "Do you want me to come and pick you up?"

Riku looked at Sora but the boy simply raised his shoulders in ignorance. He himself had become concerned even if he didn't know what was happening.

"Guys, I'm going to pick up Tidus. You want to come along?" She said as she looked around the table for the car keys.

"What's going on?" Sora asked her but she simply replied she'd explain in the car as she went into her room, rummaging for the keys and her cellphone.

Tidus was standing beside Tifa, staring at the large brown house where Leon lived. As Kairi's car pulled up the driveway, Tidus turned his attention towards greeting them and giving an odd look to Riku which was seen by everyone.

"Tidus, what's happening exactly?" Sora asked him as he placed himself beside the blond and watched the window Tifa was eyeing. At the thought of Tifa he had gotten a perverse thought and looked a Riku and noticed the boy was looking at her chest. He didn't know how to react towards that in this situation so he simply set back his gaze towards the window.

"Leon was having a party last night and this is where Wakka dropped me off but apparently, it was Rinoa's idea to have the party in his honor for the first performance since Cloud had left the band. When Leon walked in and realized what was going on, he started yelling and grabbing people and throwing them outside. Everyone started leaving right away except for me, Tifa, Zell, Seifer and Rinoa. He blatantly ignored Rinoa and nearly hit her with some chairs he was throwing around." Tidus pointed towards the left side of the house where a window had been broken from the inside. "After that, Leon started yelling and nearly beating Rinoa. He never did but when we all thought he was about to snap at her Cloud walked in. Leon had let go of her arm and simply stared at Cloud for a while. They stood for a good minute simply staring at each other until Leon walked to his room and barricaded the door. He hasn't said a word since. Cloud is still sleeping on the couch and Rinoa is crying and yelling at Squall since last night. Zell and Seifer left after Cloud had arrived."

A red sports car pulled up the driveway behind Kairi's car and a tall black-haired boy stepped out and walked inside the house, ignoring them. He came out a minute later with a sleeping Cloud in his arms and placed him on a girls lap before driving off. Everyone watched the scene quietly but only Tifa and Tidus knew who they were.

"That was Zack, Clouds friend or something. Seifer keeps saying they're more then friends but no one believes that. The girl was Aerith, Cloud's been dating her for a while, sort of."

"Sort of?" Riku asked, turning back his attention to the house as more yelling erupted from within.

"They both admit they care for each other and that they are romantic at times together but nothing ever happened apparently, they just seem to go on dates at times and even then, they both see different people every now and then." Tidus explained as Tifa had enough of the yelling and walked back inside and was pushing Rinoa outside and threw the car keys at her; yelling at her to shut up.

Rinoa picked up the keys and yelled at Tifa then once again at Cloud, screaming inane things that barely made any logical sense and drove away by passing on the lawn. The trio did nothing except watch all of this unravel before them, not knowing what to do with all of this.

"What put Leon in such a bad mood?" Riku asked again, obviously curious about the string of events.

"Leon's always in a bad mood." Replied Tifa, staring at Rinoa's car fade in the distance. "I hope she hits a pole." No one said anything to that. "Cloud most likely ticked him off after the gig, they were alone for quite a while; it's a surprise they didn't beat each other up."

"Speaking of the gig; what happened to all the equipment?" Riku asked, changing the subject knowing he had asked as far as he could.

"Some of the competitors knew they lost and decided to sabotage the whole thing. At least, that's what everyone believes. We don't got any names or proof but it's all to coincidental to be an accident." She said before adding. "You all better leave, I'm going as soon as I tell Leon everyone left. Thanks for sticking around Tidus, you're really part of the band now." Despite the situation, the compliment was well taken by the blond boy and he simply nodded and started heading for the car.

Kairi had driven back to her house along with Tidus, thinking he needed something to divert his attention. As they entered and all sat down at the table, no one said anything; unsure of what would be appropriate to say now. Sora got the courage and decided the make himself a sandwich and Riku eyed him lazily, his thoughts dissipating at the distraction Sora offered.

"I should call Wakka, guys. He probably heard something from someone and is worried about me." Tidus picked up the cordless phone and walked to the other room to speak with the red haired boy.

"Actually, I gotta call Selphie as she most likely heard things as well. She missed out on a lot, she'll be mad at me." Kairi sighed and went to her room to call on the cellphone.

Riku didn't say anything but simply walked outside to the balcony and watched the air, feeling this little outing was ruined. Wondering if he had somehow intruded upon something only between friends.

Sora was watching the clock turn the seconds as he munched on the sandwich he had dared to make. Slowly losing himself in his thoughts, hypnotized by the seconds hand of the clock but a voice had snapped him out of his trance soon enough.

"Are you a liar, Sora?" He immediately recognized the voice and turned his head towards the left; where the voice came from. There stood a blond girl with deep blue eyes, her facial features greatly similar to those of Kairi.

"I'm not a liar." He stated, masking his shock of having finally seen the girl.

"Then why are you just standing there?" She sighed when Sora looked confused. "You have chosen the path of burdens and the path of thorns. One is to support your friends whenever they need you and sacrifice yourself while the other is to protect yourself and block out emotions. What are you doing right now?"

"I'm eating my sandwich..." He thought it was a smart thing to say but quickly took it back. "Everyone has someone to talk to, it's not easy when people are worried about you and you have to tell them you're fine!" He yelled at her.

"For they walk the path of burdens as well, Sora. They enjoy the reward that comes from such a choice."

"Reward?"

"Whenever you're with friends you love and who you love back, it's a wonderful feeling isn't it? But such a feeling doesn't come from just a simple hello everyday and a small laugh. It comes when you can consider the other as a part of yourself, where you can be yourself and not be afraid of them." The blond took a seat at the table, never breaking her gaze from Sora.

"What about the path of thorns?" Sora asked, finally getting some answers he could understand more or less.

"The path of thorns is one where you let others in as long as they don't hurt you. Once you do, you push them away. It's a very lonely path with few rewards. However, at least you're less likely to ever get hurt or care about it if you do."

"Who walks that path?" He asks, figuring out that Tidus and Kairi are both on that path.

"You do, Sora." She replied. "But as I have said, the road of thorns and burdens are incompatible with each other. It is impossible to do both and be happy with one self. It's a complete contradiction of ones actions. It means you are afraid to get anyone else close to you but cannot let go of the few friends you have."

"That's not true." Retorts Sora but as usual the girl ignores him.

"Riku also walks the path of thorns."

"Riku?" Sora looks back and sees the boys frozen figure staring out in the distance.

"Sora, prove to me you are not a liar and choose your final answer." Sora turned towards her but her image was already gone.

"Choose what?" As he asked, three letters floated before him. All three unopened and sealed with a red heart of wax. Under the hearts were the names of Riku, Tidus and Kairi. "Oh..."He stared at all three, unsure of which to chose.

"Each of these letters has what thoughts are running through the minds of your friends. When you pick one, walk the path of burdens Sora and speak to them. This is your final test."

"Final test...What do you get out of this? What am I supposed to do with all these choices?" He yelled, aggravated he had to chose between Tidus and Kairi. He didn't even consider Riku.

"Don't worry, I'll speak to you again. This is only the introduction to something much greater, Sora. Now choose." The order came heavy and strong. Sora couldn't help but reach out his hand and grab Riku's letter.

"Tidus and Kairi already have someone to talk to but Riku is all alone, isn't he? I'll prove you wrong and walk the path of burdens. I'm not afraid of Riku."

"So much to learn and so little time. You still understand nothing." This time, it was a man's voice. The same voice that had been on his doorstep when he had come home from school. Did the girl and the man know each other? He discarded the question quickly and opened the letter.

Unlike most letters who start from a singular thought and develop through phrases and paragraphs going from left to right; this letter had short sentences written all over in different angles and seemed randomly placed.

_Help me; I'm not a bad person; I didn't mean it; Sora's funny; I love that band; I don't you love you, Yuffie; Please don't; Touch me; I didn't mean it; I didn't mean it; I love you; It's cold and dark here; I feel wet; I don't see the point; I want to die; Please don't hurt me; Kill me; I don't want to die; Don't you understand?; Please, Please...; Kairi's nice; Cloud said he wouldn't do it; Love; Hate; No..._

The rest of the letter had small pentagrams, unhappy smiley faces and scribbles all over it and odd words kept being scribbled near them. This defiantly was not what Sora had expected to read inside Riku's letter. He wondered if it was all right to have read it; no one should be allowed to have a look inside someones mind.

"This is my chance, isn't it?" Sora put the letter in his back pocket and marched towards the balcony, seeing time has already started moving as strand hairs blew over Riku's head.


	3. The People I meet

**author's Notes:**

Sorry for the delay! I got hooked on World of Warcraft...But that is over now and I'm ready to write some more...Let's see if I can keep my promise for once and update regularly...I am looking for a Beta Reader since my old one seems to have no responded so...anyone?

Also I have always wanted to try out at webcomics but I have stickfigure talent and I'd need someone to do the art while I work on the story. I think it'd be a neat project to try out with someone whom I don't know. PM me if interested.

* * *

Sora had spent the remainder of the day with Riku, Kairi was with Selphie shopping; both trying to get their minds off of what had happened. It wasn't that much of a big deal since it barely affected any of them, directly, but a good friend of theirs was now inside a world that they always knew existed but they were too young to be a part of and somehow now know it's not a matter of age but of life. Tidus was going down a new road and they couldn't help but wonder if they'll still be close together; all of them.

After walking back home, having parted ways with Riku in the park, Sora took the letter from his pocket and read it over once more. After making sure he hadn't missed anything of significance he placed it in the sink and set it on fire with a match. He watched it shrivel and crisp before washing the ashes down the drain; it was best Riku never found out about the letter. It made him uneasy, seeing how he barely knew him but already he had a secret to keep from him and this secret was quite serious; Riku wouldn't be able to accept what Sora had done. He wondered: perhaps he wasn't supposed to of read it. Maybe it was part of the test somehow but if there was an answer it eluded him.

As he laid down in his bed, he thought back on Riku and smiled. It amazed him how much they had been able to connect and how obvious it is that they're going to be getting along as if they had been friends all their lives. He wondered why he had the sick feeling about him before. Maybe it was just stress from the test that made him uneasy. He closed his eyes and let thoughts of Riku, Kairi and Tidus lull him to sleep.

There was a knock on the door the following morning while Sora ate his toast and bacon, his hair still dripping wet from the shower. As he answered the door, sky blue eyes met sea green orbs.

"Hey, Sora. Ready for school?" Riku gave a wave and smile before letting himself in.

"Yeah, almost." Sora, slightly confused gave a quick look at his mother but she had her back turned towards them as she cooked more bacon for herself.

"Thought we'd walk together since I pass by here everyday." He shrugged and seated himself, stealing a bacon strip.

"You walk by here to go to school?" Sora looked at him, unable to recall where he lived nor ever seeing him walking by.

"Yeah, just two streets down." He answered, his legs shaking energetically.

"Oh...Well, I just gotta pack my bag and we'll be off." Sora answered and went to get his bag, leaving Riku alone for a minute. The boy was waiting by the door when Sora walked back inside the room and seemed to look him up and down.

"Well, let's go." He said and turned towards the door and held it open for the brunet.

The walk was quiet on Sora's side but Riku told him stories of him and friends Sora never heard of before. Some sounded quite improbable but he figured the boy was simply embellishing; making the story more interesting. However, Sora wasn't paying a great deal of attention to the words; he simply listened to the sound of Riku's voice while his mind wandered off and thought of all the other things there was to think of. It wasn't to be rude or on purpose but he had gotten used to walking alone, with the exception of Kairi who occasionally accompanied him, and used this walk to think and sort out his plans and thoughts for the day.

"Heh, nice." He said, not sure to what he pretended to be content about but Riku just laughed some more.

"You always walk alone?" Riku asked, tired of talking about himself for once.

"Nah, sometimes Kairi comes but not today. She usually catches me a dozen houses down." He replied, his mind torn between paying attention and wandering off.

"Ah, Kairi's pretty cool." He commented; trying to get Sora to say more.

"Yeah, she is." Sora nodded and left it at that but Riku wouldn't let it.

"Are you together? Just what I heard." He shrugged, dismissing it with his hand. He tried making it seem as if it was nothing but somehow Sora managed to figure out what he wanted.

"No, we're just friends." He said, slightly irritated. This question had been asked far too many times.

"Ah, that's good." He noticed Sora giving a questioning look and changed his answer. "I just meant it's cool. Was just curious if what people said was true." He shrugged again and Sora didn't reply, unwilling to let this conversation keep going.

"Hey, Riku?" He started.

"Yeah?" The boy replied lazily.

"Were you biking down by my house a few days ago?" He asked, wanting to make sure it had been him.

"Yeah, I bike by every now and then when I'm going to my friend's house." He answered, now curious why Sora asked. "Why?"

"No reason..."He figured quickly the answer wasn't good enough and smiled. "I was just wondering if it was a girl or a guy going by." He laughed and Riku punched him on the arm.

"Aw, you think I'm pretty?" He laughed and darted off after Sora as the brunet tried to run away from the punches.

As they arrived in the school, the whole gang greeted Sora but only Kairi seemed to have smiled and noticed Riku. The boy didn't seem to care but he obviously felt out of place.

"How was your weekend, Sora?" Tidus asked as they walked down to their homeroom.

"Not too bad, hung out with Riku a lot." He responded with a gesture of the head.

"Oh." Tidus replied, unsure of what to say to that. "I spent some time with Leon...He's brooding more then usual and he barely said anything all Saturday. According to Tifa, I was the only person he let near him that day. Apparently, Cloud went too far Friday or perhaps it was Rinoa. We know what happened but it's hard to understand what's going on with Leon barely making any physical appearances."

"What exactly happened between Cloud and Leon anyways? I remember them always being together before they graduated last year." Selphie asked, feeling better from her illness last Friday.

"Well, this is just what Tifa told me. I hung out with Zell before so I knew of this a little but it was just rumors and awkward moments really but apparently Cloud and Leon were more then just friends."

"Like boyfriends?" Kairi picked up the pace, closing herself to Tidus. Sora and Riku were just following in the back but Riku seemed uninterested but Sora was too busy listening to ask about it.

"Not exactly, they were more close then friends should ever be but they weren't romantically together...It's weird to explain." He took a breath and quieted down for a second as they passed into the class room and made their way to their usual spot in the back. "However, Cloud wanted to be actual boyfriends together and Leon didn't seem to have a problem with it for a while before he suddenly blew up. After that, he and Cloud got into a few fistfights, Cloud left the band and Rinoa started fighting with Leon more then usual and well...here we are. This is all what we are guessing from bits of information we gathered though, Cloud isn't saying much about it either. However, we all think Rinoa had something to do with it. We're all pretty sure Leon was about to admit he loved her." Tidus smiled at the thought, it wasn't like Leon to ever say something of the sorts.

"Wow...didn't know all of this was going on." Kairi commented before Selphie could ask the obvious question.

"So, Cloud is still trying to win Leon back?"

"Yeah, that was the whole fight the night of the battle of the bands." He replied. "It wasn't the first time they thought over it. Leon is better now and hosting a party at his place Wednesday. You're all invited." He regretted those words when he noticed Riku was there but he couldn't exclude him in front of everyone.

"Sounds great but Leon is having a party?" Kairi asked, emphasizing Leon's name.

"Yeah, most likely something Rinoa convinced him to do." Tidus gave a smile but it came off awkward more then funny.

The remainder of the school day went without any events of importance, just filled with jokes and laughter from the back of the classrooms as the group joked around instead of paying attention to the teacher, who tried their best to separate them but they always managed to land next to someone who would be just as bad.

As they all said their goodbyes for the day; Sora, Kairi, and Riku walked together back to their homes. Both felt that Riku was a bit in the way but they had become friends, no point in trying to conserve what they had before. As usual, Riku payed extra attention to Kairi as he talked about himself and told stories which they all laughed at even if they weren't that funny. It was his eyes and hands, they made everything seem better then it was.

"So, hey, Riku." Sora started as the laughter died away. "Are you gonna come to the party Wednesday?"

"Depends." He replied.

"Depends on what?" Sora asked as no further explanation came.

"Well, I might be spending time with Yuffie that day."

"Oh. Is she your girlfriend?" Kairi asked, curious at the little piece of gossip. No one in the group knew much about Riku as he mostly stayed by himself at school; she had never seen him with friends before he befriended her and Sora.

"Yeah, she loves me." He made a silly voice on the word love and gave a big smile, happy for himself but Sora knew better. There was something else going on but he couldn't simply ask Riku what the letter had meant, could he now?

"That's great." Kairi laughed back and waved goodbye before going in the other direction; towards her home.

"Hey, Sora." Riku glanced over at him before the brunet had a chance to walk up his driveway. "What are you up to this weekend?"

"Nothing yet." The boy turned back to Riku and simply gazed at him back.

"Well, wanna hang out somewhere then? I got no plans either." Riku's face was expressionless as if he was desperate for this but Sora just shrugged the odd idea off.

"Yeah, sure. We'll talk about it later, cya." He waved and turned but before he knew it he felt a weight rush unto him and squeeze.

"Hug." Riku's voice was like a pout and Sora couldn't help but hug back. Riku pushed himself away, laughing a silly laugh and waving goodbye with the back of his hand as he walked away; leaving Sora slightly confused.

Tuesday past by in a flash, everyone giving an odd look as Riku hugged Sora and Kairi every now and then for no apparent reason. Wakka managed to convince his dad to pick them all up after the party since none of them planned on being able to drive legally after and Riku has also decided to show up with Yuffie if at least for a while.

Wednesday night came and Sora and Kairi came out from Kairi's car and they looked at the Leonhart house. It didn't seem like the same house where the people were coming and going from the yelling and the fights. The house lights seemed dim while shadows moved back and forth from the window and music and voices filled the night air.

"Well, let's see if anyone else is inside. Tidus should be already there." Sora took Kairi's hand and they walked in together.

The house party didn't have as many guests as the word party would suggesty; only a few more then a dozen or so. Wakka and Tidus were already there, drinking on the couch and talking to some girls but what had caught their attention was Leon watching Tidus like a hawk from the wall. The only movement was his arm raising and descending the glass in his hands. Rinoa was talking to Seifer and Zell but they seemed more to be laughing at her then with her, her popularity obviously in the gutter with her usual crowd.

"Hey, Sora!" The brunet turned at the sound of Riku's voice and smiled at him as he approached with a girl holding his hand. "Sora, Kairi; this is Yuffie and vice-versa." He made the gesture with his hand and smiled even more.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Kairi gave her a small hug and Sora just waved at her. She was quite smaller then them and something about her didn't feel right, at least to Sora. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. As Yuffie grabbed and started kissing Riku, Kairi pulled on Sora's arm and started walking a bit away with him and whispered into his ear.

"How old do you think she is?" That's when it clicked inside of his head, Sora turned back and gave her a quick glance.

"Way too young. Fifteen maybe?" He replied back quickly as the couple made their way back to them.

"Hey, Yuffie. I don't mean to be rude but how old are you?" Kairi put on her best friend voice and tried to seem as less offensive as possible. "It's just that with your size and how young you look. You must have some secret to staying so young looking." Sora couldn't help but breathing out the word smooth.

"It's okay." Yuffie obviously caught on the ploy but didn't seem to mind it. "I'm fourteen."

"What?" Kairi couldn't help but let out a chocked snort from her throat in surprise. "She's fourteen, Riku?" She asked the boy, making sure it wasn't a joke.

"Yeah, why's that so surprising?" She asked as if it was normal for a fourteen year old to date an eighteen year old.

"No reason..."Kairi gave an odd smile. "I'm going to check on Tidus and Wakka..." She quickly left the couple and Sora alone. Sora glanced over where she was headed but noticed that Tidus had moved by Leon who was still leaning against the wall. However, they seemed to actually be in a conversation and Leon was actually keeping it up.

Rinoa suddenly came out from a small group next to them and introduced herself to Riku and Yuffie before turning to Sora.

"Hey, I remember you." She smiled sweetly but somehow Sora felt uneasily because of it. "You were there to pick up Tidus last Friday, weren't you? You and a bunch of friends." She added.

"Yeah, he called us to get him." Sora nodded a few times, trying to shake off the feeling.

"Well, it's good for him to have such nice friends. Sometimes I worry about Squall." She commented, making the conversation about her all of a sudden.

"Squall?" Sora asked, weirded out that someone dared to call him that. "He has a lot of friends no? You, Zell, Seifer, Tifa, Zack, Clo..." He stopped short, noticing those people were probably not on the best of terms with him.

"I heard my name?" Zell came up to them and offered his hand to be shaken and Sora took it. "Hey, you must be Sora. Tidus spoke of you."

"Did he now?" Sora smiled, feeling better now that Rinoa's attention was divided off of him. "We were just talking about Leon."

"The Lion? Yeah, he seems to be in a fairly good mood tonight." He glanced over at them. "He seems to like Tidus quite a bit, been hanging out with him all the time lately."

"It's the hair, maybe somehow it reminds him of Cloud." Rinoa commented and Zell gave her a dirty look.

"Leave them alone, alright? The Lion is happy finally and you've got no business breaking him again." He scowled at her but she seemed indifferent to it.

"Again? I never broke him, he chose to do that all by himself. I was just there to hold him." She gave a smile and excused herself and proceeded to entertain the other guests who seemed to welcome her and mean it.

"Be careful of her Sora, she isn't a very nice person." Zell gave him a queer smile

Sora found an open cooler with some brown bottles in it and a cap opener, he looked around himself and figured it was alright to take one. After opening it, he looked around for somewhere to sit down before taking a sip. He wasn't much of a drinker and never liked the taste of beer much but it was a party and at this point, he could really use some lightening up.

He found a nice isolated spot by the stairs to sit down next to and took a gulp of it. The taste was awful but the warmth sure felt good and he already felt a little better after that odd conversation. He noticed Leon walking by while analyzing him with his eyes. Sora figured he simply identified him, he had never spoken to Leon before but Leon must remember him from school and from Tidus stories.

_The rose and the path of thorns. That's Squall isn't it? He's at the point where he pushes away the people who love him and whom he cares about back. Well, maybe pushing Rinoa is more of a logical choice. _Sora smiled at the thought but he kept on thinking more and more with each sip. _But I am both, the path of burdens and thorn. Even though they aren't compatible they make the most sense to me. I will always love my friends no matter what but I'm not stupid, I won't let them keep hurting me...Maybe Leon didn't choose the path of burdens and he's all alone, unable to understand what he's feeling..._Sora snapped out of his trance, realizing Leon never took the tests and he's simply who he is. These tests, was he the only one?

"Hey, there." Riku slumped down next to Sora and observed him. "Drunk already?"

"No, just thinking about...nothing." Sora shook his head and proceeded to finishing the remainder of the bottle.

"Common, you can tell me anything." Riku replied, leaving Sora with a warm feeling but he couldn't share it even if he wanted to.

"No, it's nothing. Just looking at everyone here." He fumbled with the bottle in his hands, hoping Riku would stop asking questions but the boy was quite stubborn.

"What about them?" He seemed to lean closer then to Sora now but Sora was too busy hypnotizing himself with the bottle.

"Nothing, just glad I got friends." Even though it wasn't like himself Sora got up and walked away, leaving Riku alone. He didn't want to spend the rest of the evening replying nothing.

_I suppose that was the path of thorns guiding me away from Riku. I just needed to get away...Maybe these choices make more sense they I thought. But if Riku also walks the path of thorns, doesn't that mean he's feeling horrible right now?_ Sora turned back but he simply saw Riku kissing Yuffie hard and a bottle in his hand. _Nah, he probably doesn't care. _But something told Sora that wasn't true; he quickly drowned it with more alcohol.

As he found himself sitting where Wakka and Tidus were previously, Kairi came up to him and sat next to him, a drunk giggle escaping her lips.

"Hey, Soooora. Having fun?" She rocked back and forth slightly, obviously she was more then just a little drunk.

"Yeah, this is fun." He said, forgetting already Rinoa and Riku.

"Well then you better start smiling." She said and Sora tried his best but he couldn't help but laughing along with her. "Aw, you need a little help." She leaned her face in and kissed him. The kiss was sweet but they kept their lips together longer then they should of for all of their friends seemed to have turned their heads and watched both of them, making them all see that they were teasing something that had really been there.

As their lips parted, Kairi gave him a giggle and ran back to Selphie who was looking at them in awe. Sora however felt different, he wasn't sure if he really felt that he liked it or that he didn't care. He cursed at his alcohol bottle before getting up and facing Riku and Wakka.

"Man, you said nothing was going on, ya?" His voice still sounded shocked. "That was definitely something."

"Nice man." Riku simply congratulated him but there seemed to be mirth lacking behind his eyes this time.

"She's just drunk." Sora said, his hands patting the air under him, an odd drunken attempt at calming then down. "We're not together or anything like that. She just had many alcohols." He realized he said alcohol instead of too many drinks but he didn't bother correcting himself.

"And you too man." Wakka laughed shortly before asking. "have you seen Tidus anywhere? I can't find him."

"Last saw him with Leon." Sora replied and so did Riku but Wakka simply ignored the boy.

"Thanks." Wakka gave a last chuckle and patted Sora before heading off. However, this time, Riku noticed the hostility towards him and gazed at Wakka as he walked away. Sora realized too, despite being slightly tipsy, and grabbed the boy by the arm and they both fell on the couch, making a few heads turn for a moment.

"What was that for?" Riku asked, still on top of Sora. The boy gave him a funny face and shrugged before laughing. Riku patted his head and got up, returning to his girlfriend. Sora watched him leave, not having planned him on going, and wondered how Riku took that. After a muddled train of thinking, he thought of why he had done it in the first place.

The next morning, Sora opened his eyes to realize he was back in his room and tucked under the sheets. He lifted himself and quickly realized he didn't have a hangover and smiled. He got up and walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth all the while trying to remember what he had done last night.

He remembered kissing Kairi, the conversation with Rinoa and Zell, Leon, falling with Riku and then dancing or some kind of movement. The rest was blank and he didn't care. He had fun even with all the oddities of the gangs.

As he walked back into his room he looked at the clock and realized it was only six in the morning. He glanced at his window and realized the sun had barely begun to rise and cursed softly. He wasn't tired at all and he didn't feel like just laying in bed.

He decided to get dressed and watch some television before getting himself some breakfast and he walked out his bedroom door but as he stepped into the hallway he noticed something was different. The hallway had turned into a large circle and the tiling was stained glass however he couldn't make out the image from where he stood. He wasn't as shocked as he would have believed he would be but ever since the dreams this was rather a mild shock.

He walked to the center after making sure there was nothing else in the circle and looking behind himself to find his bedroom door gone. As he moved, he observed the ground slowly realizing that the image was his face, Leon's, and Riku's. He didn't really understand it but he glanced around himself once more and this time noticed a chest laying on the other side.

"I guess..." Sora sighed and marched towards it, carefully observing the gold vines encircling the dark green chest. It was rather pretty and wondered if it was actually made of gold. He figured it contained something symbolic like the tests but then again, the girl had said he had done all three tests.

"Something is inside it, Sora." The voice rang out and he jumped a little.

"What is it?" He asked but didn't expect an actual answer.

"You gotta find out by yourself." She replied and Sora knew it was better to try and open it then to keep talking to her. However, he found the chest was locked and he didn't see any keys laying around.

"A chest is like the inside of a person. They'll never share what is inside of them with you until they give you the key." The voice explained.

"So, the key is inside of it?" Sora tried peeking through the keyhole and saw it, laying inside the velvety interior. "Yeap, it's in there. How do I get it?"

"People only let others inside of them when there is trust and love binding you together. This chest however is devoid of emotions and only wishes to protect itself."

"Protect itself from what?" At that, he noticed a shadow moving quickly behind him. He spun and took a step back; the same shadow was there just like it had been at the battle of the bands. "What is that?"

"That is a heartless. Protect yourself Sora." At those words, the shadow flung itself at Sora, it's small hands swiping the air, leaving a blur of blackness in their wake. Sora, unprepared, felt the hand pass through him and his blood and bone felt like they've been turned to ice. He clutched his arm and distanced itself from the heartless. After making sure the heartless wasn't right behind him, he checked his arm and noticed it was bruised but nothing bad happened to it.

"This is the weakest heartless. It can't kill you easily but I suppose you are even weaker then it." The voice said, without any trace of insult in her voice.

"Kill me? How do I defend myself?" These tests have turned into something else and Sora wasn't sure if he was ready for it. However, he played video games and day dreamed about being a hero and all that. Why did he feel so scared? Wasn't this just like virtual reality, the girl wouldn't let him die. Would she? Those words comforted him and he started off towards the shadow, his fist ready to make impact. However, as he got closer to the shadow, he realized his fist was actually holding a wooden sword. He didn't have time to question it as he was in range to take a swing at the heartless and took his first shot. The heartless tumbled clumsily, merely propelled backwards by the sword.

"The sword in your hand is the strength of your heart, Sora. The stronger your resolve, the stronger the weapon." The voice explained, letting Sora figure out how to destroy the heartless.

"My strength is no better then wood?" He smiled, losing himself in the battle rage pumping through him. Part of him was excited, he had always dreamed of battling monsters and he finally had a chance. "So, I just have to believe...in myself? My friends? My heart?" He asked but the girl gave him no reply and he simply decided to believe to believe. There was nothing to it. He was gonna strike down that heartless.

Both of them started for each other at the same time but with the swords extra reach, Sora managed to strike the heartless before it's tiny hands managed to get close to him. This time, the sword passed through the heartless and in a puff of black smoke the shadow dissipated into nothingness.

Sora heard the chest open behind him and he turned to face it. Oddly enough, the box was now only a foot behind him, as if it had moved itself towards him. He bent down and lifted the cover with ease and reached inside, grasping the key.

"That key will open any door or any one's heart to you. You will be able to access their thoughts, feelings, and memories as you please but once used, the key will break. Keep that key with you and use it when you must, it's the only one you'll get."

"Open a heart?" Sora didn't like the idea of it but slipped the key into his pocket for safe keeping. When he lifted his eyes back, he realized he was standing in the hallway once more. He reached into his pocket, assuring himself the key was still there. He looked back into his room and checked the clock: six o'five. "She didn't have to stop time for that..." Sora muttered before heading into the living room to watch some television.


	4. Only One Chance

**Authors Note:**

Weee! New chapter, I said I'd try to keep a regular update (once or twice per week, maybe less if I update too much and my brain goes fzzt) and until now it seems it's working. Huzzah for me!

Thanks to the reader traffic, I get to see how many people visit my chapters and I'm proud to say it looks like I have regulars :o but you don't review :( Not that you have to but it makes me feel good when a review gets sent to my inbox

So enjoy and R&R!

**PS!**

Some of you may have noticed the titles changed... yeah, they were far too epic...Also some oddities in style of writing and font can change due to uploads, I'll fix em if I see them. You know the Key from the last chapter and the door from this chapter? Yeah, I didn't forget about the key. Got a plan for it later on Remember, this story is all about Sora; his choices and beliefs and how they evolve and prepare him for Kingdom Hearts. This fic is only an introduction to the real story. Kinda like Destiny Islands in the game except this is more elaborat and everyone is connected somehow. Enough spoilers! Enjoy!

* * *

The next two weeks flew by quickly for Sora. No longer did he ever have a moment of loneliness or solitude as Riku seemed to always be a few steps behind him, always finding new ways of spending time with him. He didn't mind of course but he felt as if he had lost a piece of himself or perhaps he simply forgot about it; whatever the case, Sora knew Riku was changing his life little by little. Not only him but also that girl and all her tests seemed to be affecting him. He didn't think of the world the same way anymore and every night he would remember how it felt to take up a sword and battle the heartless. He wondered what they were and even dared to go online and search for any information about them but came back with no results. It had been quite a long time since the girl came to him and he wondered how much longer he had to wait. December was slowly setting itself in, only a few days away from the holiday month.

Destiny Islands was a special place, much like the other islands surrounding the area, no snow ever fell. It was summer all year long except in the coldest of months where some could say autumn has fallen upon them. Some trees would change color slightly and some plants might die but other then that most wouldn't think of it twice. However, parents often tell their children stories about snow and how it feels and all the games they played in it. Geographically, it is impossible for snow to fall on the islands but there has been a few records of storms passing through, leaving the islands coated in a white blanket of snow for a few days before melting away and revealing the endless summer. Sora knew this and was sure it was going to snow this year. With all the strange things happening to him, he couldn't believe otherwise.

"Hey, Sora." Riku started as they turned the corner down the street; heading towards the town. Even though what the islanders consider winter, Riku was still wearing a short sleeved black shirt letting the elderly realize how frail they've become under their jackets. A wind blew over them, chilling them but the sun quickly heated them back. "What are your plans for the eighth?"

"The eighth? Nothing, why?" Sora replied lazily as he leaned against a building and looked towards the street cars.

"It's my birthday!" He gave the boy a large grin though he quickly realized Sora's thoughts were elsewhere. "I'm having a small party, just my family, but I'd like you to come."

"Family, huh..." Sora was watching the cars zip one by one, lost in his own mind. _What a stupid thing: family. Like they ever mattered to Riku..._His eyes shot up, stunned by what he had just thought. "Yeah, I'll come by." Quickly answering, hoping to seem normal.

"Sweet." Riku nodded, giving him an odd look but quickly turned back to his smiling self.

"You like your family, don't you?" Sora asked, hoping to seem uninterested in the answer but Riku had caught something and he could feel it.

"Yeah, I love them." He answered truthfully and chuckled. "Sometimes."

"Heh..." Sora, despite himself, smiled. _Better just calm down._ He forced out all the negativity out of himself and put on a fake a smile. "Well, let's get going..."

"Afternoon, Sora, Riku." Both boys looked behind them to notice Zexion approaching them and greeted him in turn. "Out today again?" He laughed. "You two seem to be getting along quite well."

"Yeah..." Riku replied but the teacher seemed hardly interested in him as his attentioned was focused on Sora.

"I know this should wait until tomorrow but I have to ask you something, about school that is." He took a step back, indicating for Sora to come closer so they make speak away from Riku. The boy understood and walked a few paces back, letting Sora answer whatever Zexion needed. "Honestly, it's about Riku and not school, Sora."

"What about him?" Sora asked nervously, unwilling to meet the man's gaze.

"Riku isn't the best student there is, you know. Can't have your grades slipping because of him. I see your report cards, quite impressive." He gave an easy smile but quickly took it back when Sora frowned at him.

"What does that mean?" The question was more of a threat then a question but one could hardly blame him, his friendship being attacked and all.

"Nothing of the sort, Sora. Just remember this; Riku is not a happy person." He broke off his eyes from Sora and turned; ready to leave. "Good thing he has a friend like you, Sora. Help him out while you can." The teacher waved and walked away.

"While I can?" Sora said but too late and too quietly, Zexion had left him with Riku walking back to his side quickly.

"What was that about?" Riku asked, eyeing the back of his teacher.

"Nothing, just reminding me about a school project." Sora lied and quickly realized it wasn't quite the lie he thought it was. "And I need to get it out of my locker. Forgot my papers in there." He laughed, embarrassed.

"Just get it tomorrow." Riku shrugged, school being the last point on interest on his mind.

"No, I need to give it in tomorrow. I kinda didn't work on it much." He laughed again. "Good thing Mr.Zexion came and reminded me."

"Oh... You're going to get it now?" Riku asked, noticing the school was only a few minutes of walking and sighed.

"Yeah, I gotta get working on it by tonight." Sora then realized why Riku seemed saddened by it. "I'll hang out with your friends another time."

"Kay, see ya." Riku turned around and walked away without letting Sora say good bye back.

"Unhappy, is that so...Nothing new there, Mr.Zexion." Sora sighed as well and headed towards the school alone.

As he walked up the paved slope towards the central entrance of the school he realized all the cars were gone and cursed to himself. If there are no cars, it means the janitor is gone as well. Exasperated, he grunted and forcibly pushed against the door and, to his surprise, the door opened.

_It's unlocked...They must of forgotten. _He quickly forgot about that and marched towards his lockers, hoping he was truly alone. A small feeling made him feel uneasy inside. He figured it was because he hadn't ever been at school when all the lights were off and there was no one inside. Didn't feel like school anymore, felt like something he'd rather forget forever. Those thoughts danced along side him while he marched towards his locker. He fumbled with his combination clumsily once he reached the locker, getting more nervous and paranoid that someone was right behind him. _Common, unlock dammit!_

As he walked quickly with his papers in his hand, he nearly ran with each step but forced himself to walk slowly, the thought of running making whatever watched him angry and send it off in a chase. His breath getting shorter and shorter until suddenly he stopped, his mind stuck on an image: the teachers lounge door was opened. His heart racing hundreds of miles per hour he dared to turn back in hopes of finding it closed but it was slightly opened and he was sure it had been closed when he first walked by. He closed his eyes and opened them again but the door was still as opened as they were before he had closed his eyes. Everything in him told him to run and get out of here but he couldn't believe his fears had been true and something in him wanted to be convinced it was all in his head; therefor, he opened the door a little more and looked inside.

The room was carpeted in a dull mauve and the walls were dark gray with the blinds closed. The janitor had been here, the counter was wiped clean and the coffee table was tidied up. What bothered Sora was that the door leading the storage room was opened as well and seemed to be inviting him.

_Common, Sora. Just a teacher looking for a file or something. With any luck, these doors were left opened by accident._ He tried convincing himself but he was out of luck. Somehow, he knew it was something. As he entered the lounge, looking back to make sure nothing, or no one, had managed to escape his attention before pushing the store room door open.

The store room is a simple hall with cabinets stacked and fastened against the walls, leaving room for only one person to move around freely. All the cabinets were closed and everything seemed in place, or so he thought until his eyes strode over to the end of the room where he found something that didn't belong there.

"A door?_"_ He carefully stepped inside the room and approached the door slowly, examining its wooden frame. There was nothing special about the door as far as he could tell but it wasn't like any other door he had seen before. It was an oval frame with a gray tinge while the door itself was what seemed a large plank of a dark gray that nearly stood out as black. Just two dark planks of wood. There was a black knob but when Sora dared to reach out, he found it to be locked. The door seemed fastened to the wall as it didn't budge as he pulled the knob as hard as he could and he couldn't recall there being any walls on the outside of the store room. "A locked door that leads to a wall..." He whispered and wondered why they had bothered installing it in here.

"_This is a very special door, Sora. You cannot open it just yet, you'll have to come back when your resolve is stronger then it is now." _Sora shook the head, surprised at the voice inside his mind. He didn't know what resolve it was talking about but he wasn't so sure he'd come back to open it, this door was the feel of unease he had ever since he entered the school and he wasn't fond on the idea of braving it again. Taking a final look at the door, he sighed and closed the store room behind him and proceeded to exit out.

_Step._

In a heartbeat, Sora felt the terror rise up in him and at once he flayed out his right out towards the footsteps. He felt a shock vibrate in his arm as he focused his eyes to see what he had hit.

"Ow, what the fuck!" Riku cried out as he clutched his arm, backing away from Sora. "What did you do that for?"

"Riku?" Sora's fear was replaced with confusion and shock as he saw his friend rubbing his arm and glaring at him furiously.

"What were you doing inside the teachers lounge..." His eyes moved over next to Sora. "with a sword of all things." Sora looked at his right hand and realized he was wielding a wooden sword, just like the one he used against that heartless. He didn't remember picking it up but then again, he probably willed it to come to his hand.

"My resolve, is it?' He wasn't too happy it was only a wooden sword but he thanked god it hadn't been something with a sharp edge. "Are you alright?" He asked snapping out of his thoughts.

"No thanks to you." Riku growled and readjusted himself, recovered from the hit. "What were you doing? Thought you were just getting your papers?"

"Yeah, I have then right here." He looked back at his hand and realized the wooden sword was still there and the papers weren't. "Uh..I must of dropped them inside." He turned back inside quickly and reached for the store room doorknob only to find it locked. "Dammit, it's locked.

"Well, yeah. The teachers always lock it. That's where they keep all the old files." Riku commented as he entered the room himself.

"Then why was it open before?" He pushed against the door another time before turning back, defeated. "My name is on those papers!" He growled at the thought of him being asked into the office to explain why his homework has been inside a restricted area.

"How'd you get in in the first place?" Riku propped himself in one of the chairs and examined the bruise mark the sword has left.

"It was opened when I came in." Sora sighed as he looked at Riku's bruise too.

"Why were you here?" He asked, turning his arm away from Sora's view.

"I was just looking for..." He looked at Riku's expression and decided to play stupid instead. "I don't know. I just came inside."

"Don't lie to me." Riku's voice was cold, if not angry.

"I'm not lying." Sora whispered, angry at himself for what he had done and now unable to tell Riku the truth.

"Yes you are! Tell me the truth!" Riku yelled, surprising Sora as well as himself. "I'm sorry, it's the arm." He smiled. "You can trust me, Sora. Please, tell me."

"What are you doing here? You were supposed to be with Yuffie and some other friends." Sora turned back the question, unwilling to keep this up as well as frightened by Riku's anger.

"I decided to come walk you home first since I still had some time before going over there." He lied and Sora knew that. They had been already late by twenty minutes.

"And you're telling me not to lie." Sora scoffed, surprised at himself.

"It's the truth." Sora looked at Riku's face and surprised himself when he noticed how convinced he looked.

"Riku, thanks but I'm going to walk home by myself." Sora shook his head and headed towards the door.

"Whatever." Riku sighed as he sunk deeper into the couch, his face expressionless but his eyes deep and pensive. However, Sora didn't see that and before he knew it, he had spun around and growled.

"Maybe we should stop spending so much time together, Riku. We've been spending every day together. Let's take a break from each other. See ya." It was only when he exited the school had he realized what he had said. He wanted to run back and take it all back but he couldn't stop moving forward. The anger blinding him, he didn't hear Riku yell out his name.

The next few days flew by quickly for Sora. The anger of his first fight with Riku rooted itself comfortably on his heart and he let his pride take over him; he ignored Riku and stayed as far away as possible from him. His friends had noticed but only after a day had they realized letting Riku talk to them would mean Sora would be talking with another group of friends. Riku realized this quickly just as well and decided to recede to being alone again. He had called Sora on the phone once the night after the incident at school but the boy had been cold and as soon as he could he said farewell and smashed the phone down into the stand. In person it had been the same just accompanied with an insult instead of a smashing sound. Riku had given up then and forced himself to forget about Sora, wishing it was as easy as it sounded.

As the final bell rang for the school day, everyone gathered around Sora's locker as the brunet opened it to get a binder out before heading home. The teachers never found out about the lost papers in the store room, apparently they hadn't been in there after all or they would of caught him by now. Sora wished they had though, then Mr.Zexion wouldn't of given him that look when he gave him back his paper with the bad mark. He tried his best to remember the criteria but apparently he had forgotten most of it.

"Hey, this fell from your locker." Selphie was handing him a white envelope. "Nothing signed, maybe it's from Riku?" She smiled but Sora opened it with a careless rip and read it to himself, sinking as much as he could into his locker.

_I'm glad you haven't lied and chosen simply what seemed best, Sora. The Path of Burdens and Thorns isn't compatible but you sure seem to be pulling it off rather well. Just remember, you cannot let the darkness come over you. If you do, all would have been for naught and all will be lost. Besides, you're cuter when you're happy._

"She's writing me letters now..." He whispered to himself but the others heard it and mouthed to each other who it was.

_Yes, I figured a letter was better for something this short instead of freezing time and placing you in a special place._

"Now that's freaky." He nodded and ripped the letter up, throwing into a nearby trashcan. He turned to his friends who were observing him, famished with curiosity. "Just a letter from some girl I met a few days ago. She's been passing me notes since we can't see each other often."

"Why don't you just email or call?" Selphie asked but Sora ignored her.

"Hey, guys. I need to go somewhere now but I'll see you all tomorrow." He quickly waved to them and nearly ran away, hoping this would somehow make them forget about the girl. Although he figured now they'd be more curious then ever. _Cuter when I'm happy...When did she get nice? _He smiled, realizing there was more to her then just a voice. Also, the letter proved he wasn't crazy although he had given up that idea long ago. It felt good to have something concrete to prove it. The sword hitting Riku should have been a clear indication as well but he hadn't thought about that day since it happened. He'd rather forget all about it. However, he was rather curious on where to go now, he couldn't go home or he'd run up to his friends and then there would be more questions. He figured he'd find out soon enough where he'll go.

He found himself heading towards Banana Park. An unusual name but there was a lot of banana trees there and it was a park, so the name seemed rather obvious. It was the biggest park in the industrialized part of the islands and kids would often come here to play and walk around. Adults would jog or walk their dogs; the main path usually busy with feet and today was no exception. As he marched along he noticed a spiky blond crouched against a tree that he knew. Cloud was there, clad in black in the heat of day, pressed against a tree with his head hunched down. Sora decided to thank him for pulling him out of the mosh pit with a motive to do something positive and hopefully get rid of this new attitude he's grown accustomed to. _Nothing a little good karma can't fix, right?_

"Hey, Cloud." It had been a month or so since they last saw each other but the blond seemed to recognize Sora right away and lifted his head and greeted him back.

"Yo." And his head went back down.

"I just wanted to thank you for pulling me out of the mosh pit back then. I don't think I ever thanked you." He knew he had but he was sure the other hadn't heard him.

"Welcome." He raised his hand thumb, index, and middle risen and the others curled up. Sora imitated it to the side, wondering what it meant.

"So, how have you been?" Sora tried to initiate conversation but his response was a simple shrug. "Same here, things just aren't too good for me either." He slumped down next to Cloud only to find out the tree wasn't as comfortable as the blond had made it seemed. A moment of silence passed before Cloud decided to speak for once. Something he hasn't done in quite a while, little to the knowledge of Sora.

"You're friends with Riku, right?" The question came, muffled from between his legs.

"Yeah, we're good friends." Sora sighed. "Were good friends. We had a fight." He admitted and let himself feel the pain of having lost the boy due to his ego. Unwilling to apologize and admit a wrong. He couldn't even think of why he had reacted in such a way. He only remembers getting angry and staying angry. Just like that.

"Hmph, of all people...I thought you'd be the only one to stick by him." Cloud seemed to laugh for a second but Sora ignored it.

"What do you mean?" He asked, staring at Cloud's hair.

"Oh, you don't know?" Cloud lifted his head, tilting it to let it rest of his knee so he could stare back at Sora. "He and Yuffie had a huge fight. They broke up and she yelled out some things to him in front of all his friends. Apparently, those things were bad enough for all of them to hate him. He's all alone now, just like he used to be." Cloud's eyes shone a brilliant green, as if he was happy about the event.

"Were you his friend too?" Sora asked, still locked into those green orbs.

"Yeah, once. Long ago." He paused for a second, remembering the boy. "He was friends with all of us but one day we all just weren't. I can't remember. I think he separated himself from us." Sora asked him who was us and Cloud, oddly enough, kept answering. "All of us at the band and some more. You met all of them, I think, or at least seen them around. He was a few years younger...two or three, I can't remember. We didn't mind, he was like us and that's all we cared about. One day he just disappeared from our lives. I think we cared for a while but not for long. Something happened, I can't remember."

"Kinda like you." Sora bit his lip a little too late, his heart beating a little bit faster. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"Heh, it's alright. It's true." He nodded into his knee. "Guess they told you everything about me and Squall?"

"Pretty much, just what they knew. I think it's all true." Sora admitted, relieved he hadn't angered the blond. It was nice to have a normal conversation with someone for once. Seems like everything had either been a joke or a serious thing lately, it felt good to finally just stop thinking and say whatever passed through your mind.

"Well if you heard it from Tifa or from anyone in the band, then it's all true. Rinoa would of only told you lies..." He paused. "Even though it might look like it, we don't hate her. There's just something about her that seems to get everyone angry. We think she's just trying to get Squall all to herself and make him '_better_' but we can't prove it. I tried breaking those two up by convincing Squall it was for the best but he was so into her back then he just yelled at me. Accused me of what Rinoa was doing to him. Should of picked a better time...I should of." He muttered those words a few times, letting the conversation die along with them.

"Is that how it ended between you and Leon?" Sora wanted to say the lion's real name but somehow it didn't seem right. He felt Cloud used it as a privilege, something only a few were allowed to call him.

"Yeah, sort of." He sighed. "We got better, him forgiving me and admitting Rinoa had been rather controlling but from that day he'd been pulling away from me more and more until I couldn't take it. Told him some things I probably should of worded better; tell him it's okay..." He got up and stretched, the sun brightening his hair like an aura. "Thanks for the talk." He gave a small wave with the back of his hand as he walked away, leaving Sora to his thoughts.

_Guess he got tired of talking about himself...or felt he was saying too much. I'm just a stranger after all. _Sora sighed and wondered how it must of felt, being thrown away like that. The path of Burdens must make things so unpleasant when you lose someone you love. Sora guessed that path applied to everyone. No one was alone, or without feelings, everyone has feelings for someone.

Sora thought back on everyone he cared about and noticed how they in turn cared about someone else too. It was a big web, one that didn't make much sense but it touched everyone he knew and more. He felt important, being in the center of it all but he knew it was a circle and everyone was a center of their own. Personally, he had all his friends; Kairi, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka. He wanted to say Riku as well but he belonged somewhere else; he belonged to a different group. He thought it was funny how even though he who was nearly a prep along with everyone else in his group managed to make friends with punks.

_Being open to the world and people makes everything meaningless about yourself. I love it all._ That thought warmed Sora, and he felt like he used to at the start of the school year; filled with joy and love.

The next six days flew by rather quickly with Sora's reborn mirth. The group finally at ease as their friend spent his time with them just like before and all the awkward moments gone. One thing Sora wished had died during the break was all the little jokes they found to tease him and Kairi. The sudden change in him made him wonder if he should perhaps try something new with Kairi. They've been friends since childhood and he could feel there was something there. Also, he figured it'd shut all his friends up once and for all about it. He just needed to wait for the right moment...

"Nah. Snow's not gonna fall, man. It's just something in stories." Tidus waved the idea by all the while drinking canned cola.

"It's not just a story and I think it's cool Sora believes it. If we all wish it, it'll happen." Selphie replied, loving to play on the opposite team of Tidus.

"No way, man." The blond restated and passed the can to Wakka who gulped it down in a flash. "Don't chug it!" He punched the redhead but nearly fell when the other retaliated the same way.

"How about this? If we all promise to believe and it does snow, it means I am right and Tidus is retarded. If not, well...I'm just wrong." She added her consequence with a shrug of the shoulders and playing stupid but she knew Tidus would think of something.

"How about if you are wrong," He stated with clear emphasis on the last words. "and you have to dress like a goth for a week." To him, this seemed like an appropriate punishment for the girl. She was always wearing bright colors and obviously on a sugar high; the change would be rather welcome to all of them; even for a week.

"Deal!" She offered her hand to shake. "Remember, you all promise to believe." Everyone promised with laughter as Tidus accepted the challenge thinking there was no possible way for snow to fall on the islands again.

"Speaking of snow," Sora mentioned, remembering Riku's hair. "Has anyone seen Riku? I want to talk to him but I didn't see at school."

"Oh, didn't you notice? He hasn't been here most of the week." Kairi replied, looking at her shoes with interest. "Not that anyone cares though, even the teachers have given up on him."

"Yeah." Sora said, bitter at her words and everyone eyed him for it. "I'll go check on him." He let out a breath and marched off, leaving his friends behind him without a thought.

"Sora, we're on break. Schools starts again in a few minutes." Kairi shouted but Sora ignored her and she just watched him walk away, bewildered at his behavior.

"Let him go. He wants to be with Riku, so good for him." Selphie grabbed Kairi's arm and squeezes it gently. "Besides, it's english last period so I anyone cares." She giggled and pulled Kairi back to the circle.

"Yeah, good for him." Kairi smiled faintly, not to sure if this was good news for her or Sora. Riku might of seemed sweet at first but now she belives he's a horrible person and it's best to stay away from him. If only Sora knew what she knew.

Sora looked at the door for a minute before pushing it open. It was drawn open, seemingly a child's writing telling no one to enter. However, what weirded him out was the dozen scratch marks on the door. They were quite deep, like if someone took a knife and tried stabbing their way through. He sighed, pushing the thoughts away, and opened the door.

ThereRiku laid on his bed, his head hanging off the edge and his hands holding a game boy. Music was playing softly but Sora guessed it was only on a low volume because his mother already yelled at him for putting it up so loud. The boy seemed to have frozen when the corner of his eyes caught sight of the boy closing the door. His fingers stopped pressing the buttons and even the breathing seemed to have gotten shallow. Seeing the unease, Sora remembered the girl's words: you don't always get a second chance. He could fix everything right now but he didn't know how but he didn't care, he just did whatever came over him. He took a few steps forward, never breaking sight of Riku's facial expression and seeing it wasn't changing he dared to sit down next to him. The boy had moved his hands so he could keep watching Sora but still didn't do anything, heart racing faster and breaths coming quickly. Sora then did something he didn't even know he was about to do; he had let his head lower steadily until he laid on Riku's stomach. He felt a movement and soon he felt the warmth of the boys hand running through his hair and his breathing returning to normal.

"I'm sorry." Sora apologized, trying to remember what had caused him to stay so angry.

"It's okay." Riku replied, pushing the brunet off as he seated himself. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I just got angry. I'm sorry." He apologized again, glancing at Riku who was looking at his hands with his head slouched. His silver hair covering his face, making it hard for Sora to see his expression.

"Thanks." Sora felt bitter that the boy didn't apologize as well but then again he couldn't even say why either had to apologize for what happened. "It's alright now. What are you doing here?" Sora bit his lip, seeing Riku's expression. It's as if the boy didn't care at all.

"You weren't at school for a few days, thought I'd come and check on you." Sora answered, hoping his answer sounded as if he simply didn't have anything better today then coming here.

"Aw, you missed me?" Riku poked the boy's cheek hard, making the brunet tip over.

"Only a little." Sora teased and pushed the boy's hand again when it attempted to push him again. "So we're good?"

"For now." Riku gave him a smile but he could tell something wasn't right. Sora figured he had rights to be still upset at him but at least he fixed everything. From now on, things could only get better. "Isn't school still on right now?" The boy asked as he glanced over at his clock.

"Heh, yeah. It's just English so no trouble there." Sora chuckled but when Riku didn't he just felt bad.

"You shouldn't skip school, Sora." He growled. "Not for me. I'm not worth it."

"Yes you are. You're my friend and don't say that."

"Whatever." Riku reached down and tosses him a gamecube controller. "Wanna play since your already here?"

"Play? Feels more like beating a kid then playing against you." Sora joked and received a hard punch on the arm. "Don't bruise me!" But his complaint only let him receive more blows.

Sora's mother scolded him when the boy came back home later that evening. He stood there listening with his head lowered but he was too bruises and exhausted to care. The school had called saying Sora was missing from his classes and when he didn't come home his mother sweared she nearly got a heart attack when she asked Kairi where he was.

"Don't you ever do something like that!" She scolded, her tone tired from her lecture. "Next time, at least call me." She sighed, noticing how he was barely standing. "And off to bed." She gave him a gentle push and sighed once more as she watched him head towards his room.

As he entered his room, he slowly took off his clothes in the dark until he realized he could see clearly. He looked around him to find that his computer was still powered and he trudged towards it, his hand reaching for the power button, too tired to turn it off the safer way. However, something had caught his eye. His e-mail notification icon was flashing and despite himself he clicked it. Squinting and rereading simple words, he managed to make out a letter from Cloud. Most of the words were a blur in his memory but all he managed to retain before flinging himself unto his bed was that he was to come to Cloud's house for a party tomorrow, on the eighth of November.

* * *

Sorry if this chapter is a bit shorter in length but the words are more numerous. Less conversations or something even though it felt as if there had been plenty more then usual. Took me three days to write this, always writing at the most obscene hours of the night. I actually was dead frightened when I wrote the part about Sora coming back to school for his papers. I couldn't stop looking behind my back .

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and R&R!

Next chapter up next week! Promise! (Yeah right, neh?)


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